Impressive defense! Boston Celtics take apart Toronto Raptors

The Boston Celtics grabbed Game 5 thanks to an outstanding defensive performance and now lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. At 111: 89 (BOXSCORE), the Toronto Raptors dominated mainly defensively.

It was just an impressive performance that the Celtics put on the floor. With an outstanding defense, they laid the foundation for victory. Jaylen Brown was the top scorer of the game with 27 points, Jayson Tatum had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Kemba Walker scored 21 points and 7 assists. The German center Daniel Theis was the defensive anchor (8 rebounds, 2 blocks) in the game, but also delivered 15 points. Marcus Smart (12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) had the best plus / minus rating (+25) of all players.

Toronto disappointed across the board, especially in the first half. In the second round it got better, but without being dangerous to the Celtics again. Frd VanVleet was the best thrower with 18 points.

Toronto doesn’t come into play at all

The game started out muddled and wild. Both teams only shot at it from the perimeter without hitting. Seven of the first eight throws were threes, only one found its target. Boston then got into the game better and, thanks to a strong defense, held the Raptors for over four minutes without a basket hit. Little by little they expanded their lead and got the first quarter with 25:11.

In terms of points, it was the weakest Raptors quarter in Toronto playoff history. The master hit only 20 percent from the field. The backcourt from Lowry and VanVleet remained completely without a point. That only changed when Theis got a break. Now the Raptors came to an end in the zone.

But Toronto had to fight hard for every single throw. The Raptors found no means to break the strong defense of the Celtics, and their otherwise dangerous transition game did not take place at all, because Boston always had 2-3 players behind the ball in time. The Celtics lead grew steadily and was a whopping 27 points (62:35) at the break.

Second highest half-time lead in Boston’s playoff history

This is the Celtics’ second highest half-time lead in the playoffs since the shot clock was introduced. In the 1985 Finals they led in Game 1 after 24 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers with 30 points. For Toronto it was also the second-highest half-time deficit in franchise history.

The Raptors reacted after the break and were now more aggressive, but after a break from Celtics coach Brad Stevens, the intensity was back at Boston as well. To make matters worse, Raptors star Siakam conceded his fifth foul in the third quarter and first had to sit on the bench.

Toronto could not shorten significantly in the third quarter, Boston went with a 24-point lead in the final section, which quickly became garbage time. Boston now leads 3-2 in the series and can make the entry into the Eastern Conference Finals in game 6 on Thursday night.

The most important statistics

Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Boston Celtics (3) 89:111 (BOXSCORE), Serie: 2-3

• The Raptors are actually one of the best transition teams, but Boston stopped almost every fastbreak of the Canadians in Game 5. In the entire first half they came up with three fast break points. Boston always had players in the back in time to prevent fast baskets. When the game was decided early on, the intensity eased a little.
• For the Raptors, it was an evening to forget. The eleven points in the first quarter were the worst haul in the franchise’s playoff history. The 35 points at break the second highest in the Raptors’ playoff history. Only in 2016 was it worse against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs held Toronto at 31 points. It was also the worst result of any team in this year’s playoffs.
• Another point for the dominant performance of the Celtics was the outstanding defense in the zone. For a long time Toronto hardly got any deals directly under the basket and when they did, they were under distress. Theis in particular did an outstanding job here. Toronto made only 14 points in the zone in the first round. Again, the early decision in the game ensured that the statistics were watered down as the game progressed.

The star of the game

Boston’s Starting Five. It wouldn’t be fair to pick anyone out here. All starters delivered defensively and offensively. Jaylen Brown was top scorer with 27 points, Jayson Tatum got a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds), Smart and Theis mainly delivered defensively. Stevens left all five in the game well into the fourth quarter, even though the game had long been decided.

The flop of the game

Pascal Siakam. In the first half you could have picked out any Raptors player, but in addition to his poor performance he also had foul problems, so that he was not a factor in the better second half of the Raptors. In 29 minutes Siakam had 10 points (5/9 FGs), 4 rebounds, 2 assists. These are not the numbers the Cameroonian usually delivers. But he was – as I said – not the only one who could be mentioned here.

The scene of the game

It happened in the first quarter. Brown moved from half-right into the zone and finished with a crashing one-handed dunk over Anunoby. The scene can be seen symbolically for the whole game as it reflects the harrowing dominance of the Celtics.

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